'Sweet Home Alabama' license plates to be phased out on Jan. 1

If you're waiting to buy a new "Sweet Home Alabama" license plate, you'd better hurry.

In four months, they'll be gone.

The "Sweet Home" standard plate option will be replaced by a new design (pictured above) on Jan. 1, 2014, according to the Alabama Department of Revenue.

Alabama law requires that the state's standard issue license plate be re-designed every five years, a Revenue Department spokesperson said.

Alabama's "God Bless America" specialty license plate design is also about to be replaced, the Revenue Department says. The existing design, which first became available for purchase on Oct. 1, 2006, will be phased out on Oct. 1 of this year.